Amber and the Magic Thread
by Roxelle777
Summary: Amber can't wait to be Queen, but when she receives a magic gift that lets her speed up time, will she learn that sometimes it pays to be patient? Based off of the story Peter and the Magic Thread in the Self-Discipline episode of Adventures from the Book of Virtues.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello again everyone! I actually made this story as a request from Retro Mania, and I hope all of you like it! This story is based off of the animated show Adventures from the Book of Virtues. Specifically, the last part of the episode Self-Discipline which tells the story of Peter and the Magic Thread. This is basically that story but in the Sofia the First world with characters from the show. Instead of Peter, the main character is Amber! (as I'm sure you probably guessed...). Anyways, I don't write a whole lot of Amber, Hildegard or Clio in my stories usually, so I apologize if any of them seem a little out of character...I tried my best! I hope you all enjoy the story and have fun reading it! There are also minor hints to some pairings (James/Sofia, Amber/Hugo, Hildegard/Zandar) just so you know :) I love comments, but please don't leave any mean ones! If you don't like the story, just don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First, unfortunately :( I also do not own Adventures from the Book of Virtues.

 **Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 1**

"Oh Clio, Hildy, you should have seen it! Everyone loved my ideas! They all said that I will make a great Queen someday," Princess Amber boasted to her best friends.

She had invited Princess Clio and Princess Hildegard over to her castle for one of her classic tea parties so she could brag about how wonderful her day had been. Yesterday it had finally been her turn to be 'Queen for a Day' and she had loved it. She got to make all the decisions, boss everyone around, and they all had to listen to her. For once all of the attention was on her.

 _As it should be,_ Amber thought contently.

"Well Amber, looks like you're really looking forward to being Queen all the time," Clio remarked.

"Of course I am!" Amber exclaimed excitedly. "Aren't you?"

"Personally, I think the time it will take until I become Queen is much too long," Hildegard complained.

"If only there was a way we could speed up time," Clio agreed. "Then we wouldn't have to wait so long for our futures to come."

The three princesses sighed wistfully as they thought of how wonderful their futures will be. As they discussed what they would do when they were in charge, Amber's step-sister Sofia emerged from the castle and made her way over to the table.

"Hi guys! What are you all talking about?" Sofia asked cheerfully.

"Oh, hello Sofia," Hildegard greeted. "We were just discussing what our lives will be like when we are queens."

Amber nodded. "I told them about what a success I had been while I was Queen for a Day. We were all saying how anxious we are to grow up."

"Yes! Just imagine it! We will all be married and have children of our own and be in charge of our own countries as well," Clio told her excitedly.

"Why can't we just skip all this unnecessary stuff and just go straight to our future?" Amber groaned. She _really_ hated waiting.

"But Amber," Sofia cut in, "if you do that then you'll miss out on all of the great times you'll have as a kid. I mean, sure it'd be cool to see what happens in the future, but I kind of like how my life is right now."

Clio sighed. "Sofia's probably right. I mean, I like hanging out with you guys like this and not having to worry about anything."

"I still think it'll be better when I'm Queen," Amber grumbled.

"Oh, Amber I almost forgot!" Sofia blurted out. "I came over here to tell you that dad wanted to talk to you. He's in the throne room."

Amber groaned. "Oh, alright. I'll be right there. I'll see you girls in a bit. Tootle-loo!"

Amber waved goodbye to her friends and headed into the castle. The hallways were strangely empty, she noticed, as she made her way across the hall. Normally there were maids or servants coming in and out of the rooms, but today…nothing. Amber shivered, feeling a sense of unease.

 _Something is definitely off_ , she noted to herself as she carefully proceeded through the hall.

Just as she reached the door, she froze. She turned around to see a fairy dressed in yellow floating in front of her. Amber tried to scream, but her mouth was magically zipped closed and she couldn't make a sound.

"Hello, dearie!" Miss Nettle greeted, a menacing smile on her face. "I couldn't help but overhear the little conversation you had with your friends and I think I might just have what you need."

Amber flailed, trying to regain the power to speak. Miss Nettle snapped her fingers and Amber took in a breath of relief when her mouth was freed. The first thing she did was glare at Miss Nettle skeptically.

"What are you talking about?"

Miss Nettle smiled again, "You want to skip the unnecessary points in your life, isn't that right?"

"And you can make that happen?" Amber asked, her glare softening out of curiosity.

"My dear, sweet princess, of course I can!" Miss Nettle waved her wand and a golden bauble appeared in her hand. "This is the golden thread. Anytime you want time to move forward, you just pull the thread out of the bauble. The more you pull out, the more time is skipped."

She tossed the bauble over to the blonde princess, who managed to catch it in her hands. She studied it carefully, full of curiosity and excitement.

"And you're giving it to me?" Amber asked, "Why?"

"Oh, let's just say I'm not as bad as everyone says I am," the fairy declared, wiping away a fake tear. "But I must warn you. Once the thread is pulled out, there's no way to reset it."

Amber nodded, holding the bauble close. "I understand. Thank you!"

"Don't mention it," Miss Nettle dismissed, cackling as she disappeared.

"I better be careful with this," Amber told herself, and she headed into the throne room.

"Daddy?" Amber called out to her father. "You wanted to see me?"

King Roland looked up from his notes and smiled at his daughter. "Ah, Amber! Yes, please come here would you?"

Amber walked to her father's side. "What is it, daddy?"

"I was looking at your ideas for the kingdom that you came up with, and I don't think we will be able to make them all possible right now."

"Oh…" Amber sighed dejectedly. She had so been looking forward to them becoming a reality.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," King Roland apologized, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Someday when you're older you'll understand why."

"When will that be, daddy?" Amber asked impatiently. "Soon?"

The King laughed, "I'm afraid you still have a long time to wait until then."

Amber frowned, and the golden bauble seemed to burn against her hand with temptation. "Maybe not as long as you think," she whispered.

She curtsied to her father and left the room. When she was alone in the safety of the hallway, she took out the bauble, and pulled the thread.


	2. Chapter 2

**Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 2**

When Amber opened her eyes, she found herself in the same hallway she had been in when she pulled the thread. She looked around, but everything seemed the same. She started to wonder if the thread didn't work at all when she noticed that the window seemed lower than normal. She turned around and walked towards the mirror that hung on the adjacent wall. When she saw her reflection she gasped.

"I'm a teenager!" She exclaimed aloud. "And I'm absolutely gorgeous!"

She stood in front of the mirror admiring herself a few minutes more until the castle steward approached her.

"Excuse me, Princess Amber," Baileywick greeted politely, "Your friends are here for your tea party."

"Ah, yes thank you Baileywick. Please send them to the garden, I'll be right there."

Baileywick bowed before returning to the entrance of the castle. Amber took one last glance in the mirror before heading to the garden herself. When she got there, she sighed with relief at the sight of a fully prepared tea party. She didn't even have to lift a finger! She sat down at the table and was shortly joined by Princesses Clio and Hildegard.

"Good marrow, Princess Amber," Hildegard curtsied politely, and Clio followed suit.

"Ah, good marrow girls," Amber returned. "Please sit! Tell me all about how your lives are going."

Amber was genuinely curious. How was life for them now that they were teenagers? Had anything changed or was everything the same as it had always been? She could hardly contain her enquiring mind from going through all the possibilities as she sipped her tea.

"Well, I've been pretty busy lately," Clio started off. "I've had play rehearsals almost every day, what with the show coming up in less than a week. You're both coming, right?"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world," Hildegard assured her.

Amber frowned. _Since when was Clio into theater?_ She thought to herself. _And Hildy hates going to plays!_

"I've barely had any time for myself lately too, what with all of the suiter dates my parents have been setting up for me. The princes just can't get enough of me!" Hildegard boasted, though she did seem partially annoyed at the prospect as well.

Clio nodded, "I had forgotten about those. My father is setting some up for me as well. After the play, of course."

"Suiter dates?" Amber asked awkwardly. _Are we at that age already?_

"It's strange to think in a few years we will be getting married isn't it?" Hildegard asked her friends. "It's seemed like only yesterday we were just children."

"I've missed having parties like this with you two," Clio confessed sadly.

"When was the last time we all got together like this outside of school?" Hildegard asked to the group. "Hasn't it been a few months or so?"

"That long?!" Amber yelled, slamming her hands down on the table. The two other princesses sat back in shock.

"Y-yes…it's not like any of us have the time to do this on a normal basis," Hildegard told her carefully. "You know that."

"Oh…yes…of course," Amber replied dejectedly, sitting back down. "I guess I just…forgot."

"You must be stressed," Clio said, putting a hand on Amber's shoulder. "I know you are worried about finding a good suitor."

Amber furrowed her eyebrows, "Why would that be an issue for me?"

"Oh, well I know you've been worried that you won't find a suitor good enough for you since a `lot of the princes at school are trying to woo your sister…" Clio explained cautiously.

"But there is nothing for you to worry about," Hildegard cut in, sending a glare at Clio to tell her she'd said enough. "Sooner or later, they are all going to realize their mistakes and appreciate how beautiful and perfect you are."

"I'd rather it be sooner than later," Amber pouted, her shoulders sagging.

"Just give it time," Hildegard assured her. "It'll happen on its own time."

Amber faked a smile to her friends, and after about another hour or so of chatting and drinking their tea it was time to say goodbye. Amber walked her friends to the entrance of the castle and waved goodbye to them as they flew off in their respective coaches.

As Amber returned to the castle, her mind couldn't help but wander. How long would it be until someone asked for her hand? Would it take a few weeks? A month? Maybe it would even take as long as a year! There was no way she could wait that long. After all, she needed a prince so she could be queen. With her mind made up, she slowly took the golden bauble out of the folds in her dress where she had hidden it.

With the bauble in her hands, she pulled the thread.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter is short!

 **Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 3**

Amber paced up and down the hallway, irritable and anxious. As soon as she had 'arrived' in this time period she was immediately ushered to the King's office. She had no idea why her father would want to see her so badly, and the thought worried her deeply. After what seemed like forever, but also not long enough, the door to the office was opened and Amber took a cautious step inside.

"You wanted to see me daddy?" Amber asked as she carefully stepped up to his desk.

King Roland glanced up from his notes to look at his daughter. "Ah, yes, Amber. I'm glad you're here…"

"What is it daddy?" Amber asked with concern in her voice. "You sound worried."

Roland sighed, "It's this letter I just received. Apparently the prince from Feranzank has just asked for your hand in marriage…"

"Oh, excellent! Tell him I accept."

The King sat there, mouth gaping. "B-but Amber! What about-"

"Right, I almost forgot," Amber cut in. "Is he cute?"

"Um…well…I suppose, but-"

"Then it's fine. Accept the proposal."

A flabbergasted King Roland finally regained his composure and sighed. "If that's really what you want, then I guess I have no choice."

"Good," Amber beamed happily. "So, when will I get to meet him?"

King Roland looked back at the letter, "Well, it looks like you two probably won't be able to officially meet until the wedding, which won't be for quite some time. Maybe a year or two."

Amber frowned. "That's much too long. Can't we speed it up a bit?"

"Absolutely not," the king argued. "I will not lose my daughter to another kingdom that quickly. You will just have to wait."

Amber sighed, "Fine. Thanks for the talk daddy!"

Amber leaned over the desk to give her father a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. As soon as she was out of sight, she took out the bauble.

"There is no way I'm waiting that long to become Queen."

She pulled the thread.


	4. Chapter 4

**Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 4**

It was now the day of Princess Amber's wedding, and she was quite content. Her dress was beautiful, of course, and everything had been arranged just to her liking. The prince she had agreed to marry had even proved to be quite attractive, much to Amber's relief. The ceremony ended quickly enough, with the prince and Amber being crowned the new King and Queen of the country. Amber beamed at how lucky she had turned out to be. She was able to marry a handsome prince and become Queen in the same day!

After the ceremony, Amber walked over to her friends who had come to the wedding. Many people she half-recognized from Royal Prep came up to congratulate her and wish her luck with her new life, and she shook hands with each of them in thanks. Finally, she made her way to Clio and Hildegard, who had been standing with their dates.

"Ladies! Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" Amber announced, giving a big hug to both of them.

"We are so happy for you Amber!" Clio congratulated. "You are finally a queen!"

Hildegard nodded, "You'll do great, I'm sure."

"Thank you so much!" Amber beamed. "Why don't you guys stay for a little while and we can chat over some tea?"

"I wish I could…" Clio began, "but Frederick and I are supposed to meet with his parents today to talk about our engagement."

"Oh…" Amber's shoulders drooped slightly and she turned to Hildegard. "What about you Hildy?"

Hildegard shook her head. "Sorry Amber, but I can't stay either. We'll get together some other day, alright?"

"Alright…then I guess I'll see you girls later. Tootle-loo!"

Amber waved goodbye as she watched her best friends walk away, arm in arm with princes of their own. Her parents came over soon after to congratulate her on the wedding and…let's just say a lot of tears were shed by all involved. Just then Amber felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around she saw none other than her twin brother and step-sister.

"James, Sofia!" Amber greeted them happily.

"Wow, Amber, I can't believe the day has finally come for you to leave us all behind," James confessed, patting her affectionately on the back. "Now I won't have to deal with your whining all the time!"

"James, be nice." Sofia chided him.

"Aw, you know I'm just kidding Sof!" James assured her, then turned back to Amber with an uncharacteristically sad face and pulled her a big bear hug. "I really will miss you sis. But we'll always be twins, right!"

Amber faked a frown as James ruffled her hair, "James, if you sing that twin's song here I will slap you in the face."

"Aw, c'mon!" James pouted. "Fine, fine, clearly I'm not wanted here! I'll go see how mom and dad are doing."

"Ok, I'll be there in a bit," Sofia told him and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before going towards his blubbering father.

Amber just stared at them in disbelief, not really sure what just happened. Instead of trying to figure it out and hurt her head in the process, she figured she must have just missed something important when she had last pulled the golden thread.

 _Maybe I shouldn't use it so often…I can barely understand anything that is going on lately,_ she told herself.

"Well, I guess this is it," Sofia said, interrupting Amber's thoughts.

"I guess it is..." Amber agreed sadly. She had forgotten that when she became queen she would have to move away from her family too. "But we will still get together, I promise!"

Sofia smiled. "That's good. Let's try to have a day to hang out at least once a month!"

"Agreed," Amber smiled back before soon noticing her husband motioning for her to come over. "I better go, it looks like I'm needed elsewhere. My husband sure is handsome, isn't he?" she bragged waving over to him.

"Yeah, I guess…" Sofia answered half-heartedly.

Amber furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I guess I just always thought you would end up marrying Hugo, that's all," Sofia confessed quietly.

"Hugo?!" Amber exclaimed, "Why on earth would I marry him?"

"Well, you were dating him," Sofia answered matter-of-factly, "and you seemed so happy. I was really surprised when dad told me you accepted another prince's proposal."

"Oh…" Amber nearly whispered in realization. "I had no idea."

Sofia shook her head. "I'm sure you had a good reason, whatever it was."

"Right…" Amber answered back awkwardly.

"I should get going," Sofia told her, "Good luck with everything, Amber. I wish you every happiness."

"Thank you, Sofia," Amber said, accepting Sofia's heartfelt hug.

She waved goodbye and Sofia headed back to join her family. Amber felt a twinge of sadness hit her in her heart, but she quickly shook the feeling off. She was Queen now! She was finally going to get everything she hoped for. A smile of determination crossed her face as she walked towards her new husband.


	5. Chapter 5

**Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 5**

After the wedding, Amber had made a promise to herself to not use the thread unless she really needed it. She hid it in one of the drawers in her dresser and hadn't touched it since. A few months had passed, and she was living life normally. She carried out her duties as Queen very well and without much difficulty. She quickly found out that the man she had married, Prince Ezekiel, hadn't the slightest affection for her. He asked for her hand in marriage simply because he thought she would look nice sitting beside him and would help his country to prosper. It was merely a marriage of convenience, not love.

Amber didn't mind too much. After all, she had only married him so she could become queen and he was the first to ask. Well, that she knew of. She really couldn't remember anything that happened in between her time-skips. She was, however, starting to get terribly lonely. Aside from her monthly visits from Sofia, she hadn't seen any of her friends or family since the wedding. After sending letter after letter, she finally received word that Hildegard and Clio had put aside some time to come over for a much needed tea party. That day had finally come.

The three friends sat at a table in the garden, snacking away on cookies and finger sandwiches, while enjoying the kingdom's finest tea blends. They laughed and chatted about all the things that were now occupying their lives. All three of them were now married, and their husbands soon became the topic of their discussion.

"You'll never believe what Zandar did the other day," Hildegard boasted. "To try and impress me, he took me on a lovely picnic in the countryside and then when we got back to the castle, he revealed that he had a whole room dedicated just for my shoes and dresses! He is the best husband."

"Frederick took me to the theater yesterday," Clio remembered wistfully, "and then he convinced the cast to let me come up on stage with them to perform the final number. He's so thoughtful!"

Amber sat there silently, sipping on her tea. She enjoyed listening to what happy marriages her friends had, but she couldn't really join in on the conversation. After all, her husband didn't really love her, and he didn't give her much of a chance to try and love him.

"What about you, Amber?" Clio asked curiously.

"Yes, how are the two of you fairing these days?" Hildegard joined in.

"Oh, you know." Amber answered, nonchalantly. "Same old, same old. He lets me carry out many of my ideas for the kingdom, and he treats me as his equal, so I can't really complain. But if I'm being honest, it has been a little lonely around the castle these days."

"Actually, Frederick and I were saying the same thing," Clio admitted. "We were thinking about having children soon."

"Children would definitely make things livelier. Maybe I should talk to Zandar about that as well," Hildegard agreed.

"Children, hm?" Amber considered the idea. Having more people to care about her could definitely increase her mood. "I guess that is a good solution."

"But the first few years are the hardest," Clio informed them. "I heard from my mother that birth is very hard on the body, and in the early years the children cry a lot and barely get any sleep."

"That's true," Hildegard nodded, "but it would be worth it in the long run, don't you think? Besides if they get really difficult, we have our husbands and the maids to help us too."

Amber frowned. She doubted that her husband would be much help, and she wasn't sure if she would want to trust her maids with her children. "How long do you think it would take until they get to be a decent age?"

Clio shrugged, "Maybe a few years? I'm not really sure."

 _Maybe I should…_ Amber began to think when a bell chime interrupted her.

"Is it that time already?" Hildegard questioned. "I must be getting back to Tangu. It was a pleasure as always, ladies."

"I should be going to," Clio agreed, standing from her chair. "It was nice seeing you again Amber. Thank you for the delicious tea."

"Anytime girls," Amber replied.

She walked them to their coaches and waved goodbye. Soon after they were gone, she made her way to her room. There, she opened the dresser drawer and pulled out the long over-looked bauble that hid there.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled the thread.


	6. Chapter 6

**Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 6**

"What have I done?" Amber asked herself despairingly as she sat in the throne room trying to work.

When Amber had last pulled the golden thread, she thought that having a son or daughter of her own would make her feel less lonely and would make her life fun again. One kid; that was all she was planning on. However, when she opened her eyes, she had found herself struggling to watch over a pair of 4 year-old twins.

They were rowdy, obnoxious, and they never stayed still. It seemed to Amber that she would never be able to survive. She could barely get any of her work done, and anytime she asked her husband for help he would say that he was too busy and she could handle it herself. Well, she most certainly could not handle it herself! She was about to yell at her son for what seemed like the hundredth time for throwing a ball in the castle when her steward came up to her.

"Excuse me Your Highness, but Queen Sofia is here for your monthly visit," the steward stated calmly, ignoring the chaos that was ensuing around him.

"Oh thank goodness," Amber sighed with relief. "Please, send her up right away."

"As you wish Your Highness." The steward bowed politely and left the room.

Amber sunk lower into her throne, if that was even possible, and waited eagerly for her step-sister to arrive. As soon as Sofia entered the room, the twins attacked her with hugs. They were always so happy to see their Aunt, and Amber felt herself getting the smallest bit jealous.

"Sofia, I'm so glad you're here," Amber told her sincerely, "One more second alone with these two and I think I would have lost it."

"Oh they're not that bad Amber," Sofia disagreed, playing with the kids as she spoke. "Sure they can be a handful, but that's how children are."

Amber couldn't believe how different her children acted now that Sofia was here. They listened to her, they quieted down, and neither of them even tried to throw anything in her direction. They were…behaving.

"How did you do that?" Amber asked curiously, "I haven't gotten them to listen to me all day."

Sofia shrugged. "I guess I'm just used to it is all. I mean, I've been a mother for nearly 5 years now, and it's been some of the happiest moments of my life."

"Don't you get frustrated though?" Amber wondered. She knew her sister was kind, but even _she_ couldn't be immune to getting angry.

"Of course I get frustrated," Sofia admitted. "But I have James to help me out when that happens. And our steward and the maids too. They are all willing to help. Not to mention, when I get upset, I start to think about all the things I love about being a mom. Getting to know the kids, learning new things about them every day, and spending time with them; all those things make me happy. Despite all of their quirks and flaws, I love them more than anything. Besides, soon they'll be all grown up and won't need us as much anymore. That's why we have to treasure our time with them now while we have them, don't you think?"

Amber had stopped listening. Instead, a new idea had formed in her head based on something Sofia had mentioned.

 _If the twins were older, they wouldn't need me to look after them all the time,_ she decided. _They would have calmed down too, so I could actually have time to myself. Then, when I get lonely, I can spend time with them when it's convenient for me. It's perfect!_

"I wish I could have stayed longer," Sofia announced after an hour of talking with her step-sister, "but I really should be going. We promised to take the kids to the circus today. Are you going to be okay on your own?"

Amber smiled, "Oh, don't worry about me. I've got it all figured out."

"Well okay then. Bye Amber, goodbye you two!" Sofia said, turning to the kids. "Be good for your mother!"

"We will! Bye Auntie Sofia!" The twins called back.

The three waved goodbye to Sofia as she left the room. As soon as she was gone, Amber stood up from her throne, anxious to carry out her plan.

"Well, now that that's over with, Mommy has something important she has to do," Amber called over the nearest maid. "I have to go to my room for a minute. Could you please watch them?"

"Of course, my lady," The maid curtsied.

"Great," Amber replied and rushed towards her room. She took out the golden bauble and held it tightly in her hands. "This is definitely the right choice."

Convincing herself that it was, she pulled the thread.


	7. Chapter 7

**Amber and the Magic Thread**

 **Chapter 7**

Amber opened her eyes cautiously. She listened closely but she heard no screaming or crying, and definitely nothing that sounded as if it was shattering into a million pieces. _It worked!_ She thought happily, and glanced towards the clock. Noticing it was dinner time, she hummed cheerfully as she made her way to the dining hall. When she got there, she noticed her children were now teenagers, and were smiling and chatting with each other while they ate. Amber beamed at the idea of her children getting along and took her own seat at the table. Once she sat down, the children's voices stopped abruptly and they continued to eat their food in silence.

Amber frowned. "Why did you stop talking?"

Her son looked up at her, "I thought you didn't like it when we made noise."

"That doesn't mean you have to stop talking all together," Amber shook her head. "Tell me about what you two did today? How was school?"

"Since when do you care?" He daughter remarked harshly. "You've always ignored us except to tell us what we're doing wrong."

"That can't be right, can it?" Amber asked, surprised. She looked between her daughter and her son, both of which refused to look her in the eye.

"Look mom, we know you don't really care about us, so can you do us both a favor and stop pretending like you suddenly care about our lives? We're doing just fine on our own," her daughter spat accusingly, and continued eating her food.

Amber looked at her son who just nodded in agreement. "If that's how you both feel, then alright."

The three of them ate their dinners in awkward silence until the King appeared and took his spot at the head of the table. The two children quickly finished their meals and left the room as fast as their feet could take them. Amber, who had been sitting at the opposite end of the table from her husband, waited for him to greet her. When she realized he wouldn't, she coughed to get his attention.

Finally, he looked up from his documents to stare at her. "Yes?"

"H-how was your day?" Amber asked, trying to start a conversation.

The King scoffed and looked back at his notes. Amber scowled. Not only did her kids not want to talk to her, but now her so called husband was ignoring her too?! No, she was not having any of this.

Amber slammed her hands on the table. "Put those stupid papers down and look at me! We are husband and wife, and I should at least be able to have a conversation with you at the dinner table."

King Ezekiel looked up once again, this time out of surprise by his wife's new attitude. "And what, may I ask, do you suppose we talk about?"

"Well for starters, you could at least acknowledge me when you walk into the room! You could ask me how my day was, then tell me about yours. We could talk about how our kids are doing and why they feel like we don't care about them. You could at least _try_ and act like you love me!" Amber glared at him.

"I married you because it was convenient, not because I loved you," The King nearly laughed at the ridiculous idea. "Why would I treat you as such? As for our children, who cares? We just need to make sure that they are raised to be able to take over the country someday. Once that goal is met, why should we spend any extra time on them?"

Amber stood up, furious, and stormed out of the dining hall. How could she have ever agreed to marry such a jerk! He was worse than Hugo! Amber slammed the door to her bedroom shut and grabbed the first thing she could get her hands on, which happened to be a bottle of perfume, and threw it against the wall in frustration. She was about to grab something else to throw when something sparkled in front of her. The next thing she knew, she was standing face to face with Miss Nettle.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Miss Nettle waved her finger in disapproval. "It's not very lady like to throw things now is it? Besides, isn't this what you always wanted?"

"This is all your fault!" Amber screamed at her. "If you hadn't given me that stupid golden thread, I wouldn't have married such a worthless prince and my children wouldn't hate me and I would have more memories of my time with my friends and I wouldn't be so lost every time I talk to them and…"

"Ah, but I didn't force you to pull the thread, dearie. You're the one who doomed yourself to this life. But hey, you're Queen! That's all that really matters to you, now isn't it?" Miss Nettle reminded her.

After all of this, Amber couldn't keep herself from crying. She didn't care about being Queen if this is what she was left with. "Please, you have to reverse it. Take me back to before you gave me the thread, please!"

"Sorry! No take-backs, remember? I told you that at the beginning. Once you pull the thread there's no way to put it back! So enjoy your life, because you're stuck with it!" Miss Nettle cackled evilly and disappeared into nothingness once again.

Amber was so angry and miserable. She hated herself for ever trusting that stupid fairy and wishing her life would hurry up. She should've listened to Sofia when she said that every day was important. She took out the golden bauble and stared at it, feeling sorry for herself. But that sadness started turning into anger yet again and she threw the bauble at the wall with all her might.

The ball shattered against the wall into a million little shards, and the room filled with a brilliant light. A gust of wind surrounded Amber, whipping her hair and dress in all different directions. She held her hands up over her face, trying to protect herself from the light and the wind. She closed her eyes tight and felt herself fall to the ground in a thud.

When Amber finally opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that she wasn't dead. The second thing she noticed was that she was back in her garden at the Enchancian castle. She looked down at herself and saw the same yellow gown she always wore as a child and her favorite tiara adorning her head. She turned to see a young Hildegard and Clio sitting at the tea table chatting away like normal. When they saw her their faces turned to ones of concern.

"Amber, what _are_ you doing on the ground?!" Hildegard gasped, appalled.

"Is everything alright?" Clio asked worriedly. "I thought you went to talk to your father."

Amber's heart swelled and she felt tears starting to form in her eyes, "Oh girls, I missed you so much!" She cried out, running over to them and hugging them both tightly.

"You've only been gone a few minutes!" Hildegard reminded her. "What possibly could've happened in that short amount of time?"

Amber smiled, "Well, I decided that I don't want to grow up fast. I'm happy taking my time with my life."

"Does this mean you don't want to be Queen anymore?" Clio asked in shock.

Amber shook her head. "Oh no, I still want to be queen of course. But I can wait."

She grinned happily and the three girls laughed as they enjoyed their time just being kids.

 **THE END**


End file.
